New York’s 2019 primary election results

All eyes were turned to the heated and heavily covered race for Queens district attorney  on Tuesday night. But a slate of other key offices in New York City and across the state saw competitive primaries, too. 

In the race to fill New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ former City Council seat, sitting Councilwoman Farah Louis prevailed – marking her second electoral victory in as many months. The night was a success for incumbents including Louis, as well as Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, who will get a third term. It wasn’t all good news for sitting officials, however, as scandal-ridden Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse was defeated by retired State Police Major Bill Keeler in a four-way Democratic primary.

New York City Council – 45th District

Democratic Party Primary

Farah Louis (incumbent): 51.69%

Monique Chandler-Waterman: 41.36% 

L. Rickie Tulloch: 1.70% 

Xamayla Rose: 1.75% 

Jovia A. Radix:  1.45% 

Anthony Alexis: 0.47% 

Victor Jordan: 0.54%

Adina Sash: 0.96%

With 94.57% scanners reporting.

A busy election season came to a temporary close with Farah Louis’ victory in the Democratic primary to fill the New York City Council seat once occupied by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. NY1 called the race for Louis with 90% of the vote in, and Louis leading Monique Chandler-Waterman by roughly 12 points. Louis went into the race with the incumbent’s advantage, though she’s only officially been councilwoman for a few weeks, after winning the special election for the 45th District seat in May, with 42% of the vote to Chandler-Waterman’s 30% – about the same margin Louis led by in Tuesday’s primary.

Louis could still face a challenge in the general election in November, but Tuesday night’s primary was the most important hurdle to clear in the city’s heavily Democratic 45th District, which includes parts of Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood and Canarsie.

State Senate – 57th District

Republican Party Primary

George Borrello: 60.18%

Curtis Crandall: 34.29% 

With 177 out of 177 election districts reporting.

With veteran state Sen. Catharine Young vacating her seat earlier this year, the 57th District, representing Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County, Allegany County and parts of Livingston County, was left vacant. Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello and Allegany County Legislature chairman Curtis Crandall faced off in the Republican primary on Tuesday, with Borrello coming out on top. Still, the Chautauqua County executive has the general election ahead in November, in which 22-year-old Democratic candidate Austin Morgan is making a longshot attempt at turning the red district blue.

County Executive – Erie County

Independence Party Primary

Lynne Dixon: 84%

Grace Christiansen: 16%

With 420 out of 420 election districts reporting.

Erie County’s incumbent county executive Mark Poloncarz faced no Democratic primary challenge this year, but he will have a new foe come November. Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon – who is already running to replace Poloncarz as a Republican – carried 84% of the vote to newcomer Grace Christiansen’s 16% in Tuesday’s competition for the Independence Party line. Dixon declared victory around 11 p.m. Dixon and county Republicans had previously accused Poloncarz of orchestrating Christiansen’s candidacy in the Independence Party primary as a hurdle designed to stifle Dixon.

County Executive – Monroe County

Independence Party Primary

Cheryl Dinolfo (incumbent): 54.53%

Adam Bello: 45.04%

With 291 out of 291 election districts reporting.

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, a Republican, and Monroe County Clerk Adam Bello, a Democrat, are already set to face off in the November general election for the county executive seat, but first, the two competed in Tuesday’s primary election for the right to enter that race with the backing of the Independence Party. Ultimately, Dinolfo will go into November with the extra party line, leading Bello by nearly 10 points in early results on Tuesday night.

Rockland District Attorney

Democratic Party Primary

Patricia Gunning: 15.65%

Ken Zebrowski: 25.11%

Thomas Walsh: 51.07%

Victor Alfieri: 7.25%

With 277 out of 277 election districts reporting.

Thomas Walsh pulled ahead in the crowded Democratic primary for Rockland district attorney, defeating Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, career prosecutor Patricia Gunning and retired Rockland County Court justice Victor Alfieri with 51% of the vote and all precincts reporting. Walsh, a former state Supreme Court justice, went into the primary as an already sure candidate in November, with the backing of the Republican and Conservative Party lines. Nevertheless, Walsh faces a challenge in November from Michael Diederich, who has the Independence Party line.

Mayor – Cohoes

Democratic Party Primary

Shawn Morse (incumbent): 31.19%

Steve Napier: 21.46%

Peter Frangie: 11.23%

Bill Keeler: 36.08%

With 26 out of 26 election districts reporting.

The stakes were high in the competitive Democratic primary to replace incumbent Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse, after Morse’s history of controversy escalated this year with a seven-count federal felony indictment accusing him of conspiring with his former campaign treasurer to use political funds for personal expenses. Retired State Police Major Bill Keeler proved he was the man for the job, with the Cohoes Democratic Committee announcing around 10 p.m. on Tuesday that Keeler edged out the incumbent Morse.

Mayor – Yonkers

Democratic Party Primary

Mike Spano (incumbent): 75%

Karen Beltran: 17%

Ivy Reeves: 8%

With 191 out of 243 election districts reporting.

Sitting Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano hoped to extend his tenure to a third term – which he can do thanks to a recent rules change – and as early numbers rolled in Tuesday, his prospects looked good. A local outlet declared Spano’s victory early on, and with more than 70% of election districts reporting by 10:30 p.m., Spano sat comfortably with 75% of the vote.

Still, Spano will go up against former City Council candidate Mario De Giorgio, who is running as a Republican in November’s general election.

Surrogate’s Court Judge – Kings County

Democratic Party Primary

Margarita López Torres (incumbent): 52.99%

Elena Baron: 22.19%

Meredith R. Jones: 24.45%

With 98.59% scanners reporting.

Margarita López Torres will serve for two more years until she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 after easily defeating challengers Elena Baron and Meredith Jones in the Democratic primary. With more than 98% reporting, López Torres carried 53% of the vote to Jones’ 24%.

Civil Court Judge – Kings County

Democratic Party Primary

D. Bernadette Neckles: 71.61%

Edward King: 27.60%

With 98.59% scanners reporting.

D. Bernadette Neckles bested Edward King in the countywide Civil Court judge seat in Kings County. The Civil Court deals with civil cases involving $25,000 or less, like small claims and some landlord-tenant disputes. It’s possible Neckles could face a challenge in the general election in November, though in the mostly Democratic Kings County, she can rest relatively comfortably after Tuesday’s victory.

Civil Court Judge – Queens County

Democratic Party Primary

Lumarie Maldonado-Cruz: 61.91%

Wyatt N. Gibbons: 37.45%

With 98.58% scanners reporting.

Lumarie Maldonado-Cruz, an attorney for the Character and Fitness Committee of the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division in Manhattan, handily defeated Wyatt Gibbons, an attorney with the backing of the Queens Democratic Party. Maldonado-Cruz has prompted comparisons to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the attorney also has roots in the Bronx, but relocated to Queens for her campaign. Her comfortable win Tuesday night against the party-endorsed Gibbons looks to be yet another upset for the Queens machine.

Civil Court Judge – New York County, 4th Municipal District

Democratic Party Primary

Lynne Fischman Uniman: 26.09%

E. Grace Park: 73.45%

With 90.38% scanners reporting.

In the Democratic primary for Civil Court judge in Manhattan’s 4th Municipal District – which includes Gramercy, Kips Bay, Midtown East, Murray Hill, Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village – E. Grace Park, the assistant-attorney-in-charge at the Legal Aid Society, squashed attorney Lynne Fischman Uniman with 73% of the vote and 90% reporting. Fischman Uniman won a smattering of high-profile endorsements from U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, while Park was backed by Assembly members Richard Gottfried and Yuh-Line Niou.

Civil Court Judge – Kings County, 6th Municipal District

Democratic Party Primary

Alice Nicholson: 22.06% 

Caroline Cohen: 44.24% 

Chinyelu Udoh: 18.75% 

Tehilah Berman: 14.53%

With 96.59% scanners reporting.

Civil rights lawyer Caroline Cohen defeated three challengers in the Democratic primary for Brooklyn’s 6th Municipal District, which includes Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Ditmas Park, Kensington and parts of Midwood.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated the amount of time that Margarita López Torres would serve in office upon reelection.